It is during the plunges that X-rays and gamma rays are emitted. The XMM-Newton observatory detects X-rays as seen on the background image.

Credits: ESA

PSR B1259-63 orbits a ‘Be’ star named SS 2883, which is bright and visible to amateur astronomers, seen here in this image. ‘Be’ stars, so named because of certain spectral characteristics, tend to be a few times more massive than our Sun and rotate at astonishing speeds.

They rotate so fast that their equatorial region bulges and they become flattened spheres, and some fling off gas which settles into an equatorial ring around the star.

The pulsar plunges into the Be star’s ring twice during its 3.4-year elliptical orbit and it is during the plunges that X-rays and gamma rays are emitted.

Credits: UK PPARC, Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias

Its orbit takes it almost a third of the way to the Moon, so that astronomers can enjoy long, uninterrupted views of celestial objects.

This unique X-ray observatory was launched by Ariane 5 from the European spaceport at Kourou in French Guiana on 10 December 1999. It derives its name from its X-ray multi-mirror design and honours Sir Isaac Newton.

Credits: ESA